Phil Rudd Faces a Year in Jail After Violating His Home Detention

Only 11 days after avoiding jail time by pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill someone and drug possession, AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd is in trouble with the law again. Today, he was officially accused of breaching the conditions of his home detention after having been arrested Saturday (July 18) in his hometown of Tauranga, New Zealand.

TVNZ is reporting that Rudd was possessing or consuming alcohol, which was declared off-limits at his sentencing on July 9. Rudd did not enter a plea, but will register one when he faces his next court date on Aug. 3. He is now facing up to one year in jail and a fine of $2,000 New Zealand dollars. Rudd is also now subject to on-demand drug testing.

The hearing lasted three minutes and Rudd was released on bail. He was seen leaving the courthouse wearing an AC/DC jacket.

This is the latest step in what has been a tumultuous eight months for Rudd. It began back in November 2014 when he was charged with hiring a hitman, threatening to kill two people and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis. The most serious charge -- hiring the hitman -- was dropped a few days later.

But as he awaited trial, he continued to make headlines for his behavior. At his hearing, he arrived late and flipped off the press. Less than two weeks later, he was handcuffed after getting into fistfights with both his bodyguard and a former employee. Rudd was eventually sentenced to eight months home detention as a result of his guilty pleas.

His famously tight-lipped band mates have said very little about Rudd's problems, only that they were "resolved to go forward" with or without him. They chose the latter, replacing him with Chris Slade, who drummed with them from 1989-94 on the tour in support of Rock or Bust. But they have not said whether or not he is still technically a member of the band.